World Expo 2020 Dubai - Full Round-Up
The World Expo 2020 is happening in Dubai this year (2021)! I have updated this article with Covid-related measures and exciting new hotels that open this year just in time for the fair.
Are you planning to visit the World Expo 2020 in Dubai? Starting around the Dubai main season on 1st October 2021 and running until 31st March 2022, now would be a perfect time to start planning!
I have put together an overview of all the things you need to know on how to make your visit in style. Especially Dubai can give the luxe traveller a headache when planning a trip: the sheer amount of luxury hotels is overwhelming. Fear not, I am giving you the only overview that you need.
The World Fair(tm), as it was then called, has brought us the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Space Needle in Seattle, and for Dubai it will bring us … a lot of unfinished landmarks (Dubai Creek Tower, e.g.) and also the already existing high rises that have been built in the complete absence of a world fair that are worth a trip, nonetheless.
There is an impressive dome, Al Wasl Plaza, at the center of the expo, though, which represents the motto of this event: "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". This plaza can hold more than 10,000 people, filled with fountains, waterfalls, parks and palm-lined courtyards. The dome itself is a 360-degree projection screen viewable from both the inside and outside.
Tickets and Prices
| Type of Ticket | Price | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Day | 120 AED (~$35) | 1 day entry |
| 3 Days | 260 AED (~$75) | 3 days entry |
| Monthly Pass | 350 AED (~$100) | 30 days entry, plus one smart queue pre-booking per day |
| Season Pass | 595 AED (~$165) | All 173 days entry, plus one smart queue pre-booking per day |
| Premium Season Pass | 895 AED (~$245) | All 173 days entry, plus three smart queue pre-bookings per day, 50% off VIP circle tickets for 2 special Expo-led headliner concerts, 200 AED dining and gift vouchers, and other privileges |
| Utlimate Season Pass | 1295 AED (~$355) | All 173 days entry, plus five smart queue pre-bookings per day, priority fast lane for every visit, 5 uses of valet parking, 50% off VIP circle tickets for 3 special Expo-led headliner concerts, 400 AED dining and gift vouchers, and other privileges |
You can buy tickets from the official Expo 2020 website or most likely via your travel agent. Soon you will find more info regarding the concerts and other events there, too.
How to get there?
As you can see on the map, the expo area is actually not that conveniently located. Read more on the best hotels and areas to stay in further below. First we need to get to Dubai in style.
| Airport | Premium Airlines flying there |
|---|---|
| DXB - Dubai International | Emirates, Oman Air, Swiss, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, KLM, Air France, British Airways, Turkish Airlines |
| DWC - Al Maktoum International* | Emirates |
| AHU - Abu Dhabi | Etihad |
*DWC: directly next to the Expo area, planned to once replace DXB as Dubai’s main airport and Emirates Airlines home base, it still is just flown to by only a handful of airlines.
My airline recommendation
| Origin | My recommendation |
|---|---|
USA and Canada (12h to 16h flight) South America (14h to 24h flight) |
Swiss: The choice for First or Business Class via Zurich. Why not Lufthansa? They don't offer First to Dubai, and the LH Business Class is not my favorite.
BA has invested heavily in the last years to improve their premium products. Business Class in the new A350s or First in a B777 or A380 via London are surely a solid choice. Although BA First is called "Business plus" by some commentators compared to the competition. |
| Europe (about 6h flight) | The flight to Dubai is long enough from any European capital to allow for a proper Business or sometimes First Class product. For that I recommend the below airlines:
|
| Asia (7h - 12h flight) |
|
| Australia (11h to 15h flight) |
|
Why not recommend Economy? In my humble opinion all Economy cabins are the same bad experience. Don’t trust the marketing speech of the airlines - there really are no substantial differences between them.
Note: some of the links above are affiliate links.
Where to stay?
| Area | Time to Expo by car |
|---|---|
| 1. Dubai Expo 2020 | - |
| 2. Dubai Marina | 25 mins |
| 3. Palm Jumeirah | 30 mins |
| 4. Between Palm and Jumeirah Beach | 30 to 35 mins |
| 5. Dubai Downtown | 35 mins |
| Palm Jebel Ali* | 20 mins |
| Abu Dhabi | 1 h 15 mins |
*Why mention Palm Jebel Ali, when there is nothing there yet (since development stalled)? Well, there is one luxury hotel at the foot of the palm which, surprisingly enough, has a damn good rating on the usual platforms: JA Palm Tree Court (and adjacent JA Golf Resort). So if you only care about the expo and some beach fun, this might be a choice for you.
As you might know from reading my blog, I like to stay in luxury hotels with a local touch. Thus, my below recommendations will leave out some of the hotels that you might know.
Meaning of Price / Night: This is the best available rate for two people with breakfast for one night in November 2020 incl. tax for the cheapest room (retrieved in January 2020). From this you can roughly see the price range of this hotel. When you actually book, you can usually get a better price by choosing advanced payment, members discounts, or getting reductions for staying longer.
Meaning of Best way to book: This is a link to the loyalty programme, Virtuoso, or other website that will give you the best benefits when booking via them or in case you want to collect or redeem points. Note: sometimes this is an affiliate link.
Dubai Marina - all about 25 mins away
The marina is built like a small Manhattan: a lot of skyscrapers form a nice skyline from afar and contain residential, hotel and commercial parts. And between these impressive buildings flows the actual marina.
| Hotel | Price / Night | Best way to book |
|---|---|---|
|
Intercontinental Dubai Marina
For the big city feeling, surrounded by the marina's skyscrapers and the understated Intercontinental luxury. |
700 AED (~$190) |  |
|
Habtoor Grand Resort, Autograph Collection
A local luxury brand, but this particular hotel is still part of Marriott's Autograph Collection. For a local touch while collecting US loyalty points. |
1100 AED (~$300) |  |
| Address Dubai Marina
This local brand delivers on the promise of Arabian hospitality and taste. |
1300 AED (~$350) |  |
| Address Montgomerie
This is not actually in the marina, but close to it in one of the most expensive living areas in Dubai called the Emirates Hills. If you prefer a more quiet surrounding and the possibility to play golf next to your hotel. |
1300 AED (~$350) | |
| Ritz-Carlton Dubai
Calm luxury with a beach and still directly at the marina. Very nice! |
2300 AED (~$630) |  |
|
One & Only Royal Mirage
One of the best hotels in Dubai, fitting for Dubai palace-like luxury and Arabian hospitality. The King himself won't have better service. |
2700 AED (~$735) |  or  |
The Palm Jumeirah - all about 30 mins away
The most relaxed place to stay in Dubai must be the Palm. If you prefer to come back to an oasis of calm from the bustling at the expo, these resorts will help you relax.
| Hotel | Price / Night | Best way to book |
|---|---|---|
| Fairmont The Palm
The American luxury brand, now under Accor ownership, has some nice properties around the globe. This one is certainly no exception. It comes with an impressive private beach and is still very accessible since it's not at one of the palm leafs, rather the palm trunk. |
1450 AED (~$400) |  |
| Anantara The Palm
The Thai-based brand fitting to the tropical atmosphere of the Palm. Try the beach villa or the overwater villa. The latter might give you a little bit of the Phuket feeling. |
1500 AED (~$410) |  |
| Atlantis Dubai
If you have kids, this is the place to go. Imagine how exciting it would be to experience an adventure in Atlantis? I would have played along when I was little. And if you book the signature Underwater Suite, my grown-up self will also play along. A seemingly higher end hotel called Atlantis The Royal next to the Atlantis will open on time in 2021 and be available to book on Virtuoso. |
1625 AED (~$445) | Atlantis Hotel Website (not part of a chain or loyalty programme) |
| Sofitel Dubai The Palm
The French brand Sofitel (part of Accor) is bringing a Polynesian vibe to the Palm and teaches its guests the Art de Vivre. Only thing missing is an actual French restaurant. |
1900 AED (~$520) |  |
| St. Regis The Palm
St. Regis had two other locations in Dubai before (now Habtoor Palace and Habtoor Polo Club) and moved into the Palm Tower in 2021. I can imagine it will be a luxurious experience with their signature butler service and all. |
1300 AED (~$355) |  |
| Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah
A brand named after the inventor of the luxury hotel (well, kind of). That's a heavy burden of a heritage and the Dubai version of its New York original is doing a good job. A rating of 5.0 on Tripadvisor simply can't be ignored. |
2160 AED (~$590) | 
|
| Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
A great Dubai-based brand with a growing hotel list around the globe. Wonderful Arabian decor in the rooms and their inherent hospitality. |
2200 AED (~$600) |  |
| Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai
Truly a palace with an impressive display of former Ottoman power. |
2900 AED (~$790) | |
| One & Only The Palm
The other One & Only hotel in Dubai. Really exceptional but also expensive. One of only two hotels in Dubai that is also a Leading Hotel of the World (the other one is the O&O Mirage). |
4300 AED (~$1170) | or |
Jumeirah Beach - between 30 to 45 mins away
The coastline between the Palm Jumeirah and the Dubai Creek has some of the best luxury beach resorts in Dubai. The actual palace of the Sheikh is also here, so you’ll be in good neighbourhood.
| Hotel | Price / Night | Best way to book |
|---|---|---|
| Madinat Jumeirah
An old Arabian city made up of luxury hotels. An awesome place for the family AND the newlyweds. The hotels differ slightly by brand approach and luxury level. See my review of the Madinat here. |
2145 AED (~$580) (Al Qasr) | (Al Qasr and Al Naseem) or |
| Mandarin Oriental Jumeira
The amazing Asian brand rarely disappoints. |
2900 AED (~$790) |  |
| Bulgari Hotel & Resort Dubai
One of the few Bulgari hotels in the world (yet). Originally a jewellery designer founded by a Greek in Rome in the 19th century, Bulgari has since ventured into many other endeavours. Their signature style translates into nautical-inspired luxury and Italian designed furniture. Their rooms and villas surely have a warm and tasteful interior. The hotel also has its own serviced marina, in case you come by yacht. |
3200 AED (~$870) | |
| Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach
I just love the brand and had wonderful experiences in Istanbul with the Four Seasons. Thus I am sure they will not disappoint here. |
4450 AED (~$1200) | |
|
Burj Al Arab Jumeirah
I don't go crazy about this place like others (interior design is just too much bling-bling for my taste), but it still is an icon and service is exceptional - as is the price. |
7116 AED (~$1950) | |
Downtown Dubai - all about 35 mins away
To be in the actual center of Dubai gives you a few more things to do, like shopping, going to the opera or visiting the Burj Khalifa. There are some nice hotels here, too.
| Hotel | Price / Night | Best way to book |
|---|---|---|
|
JW Marriott Marquis
A good option for a downtown stay that doesn't break the bank. A high-end brand of the Marriott group, JW Marriott is delivering through thoughtful service and quality interiors. The skyscraping hotel offers some great views over Dubai in any direction. |
1250 AED (~$340) |  |
| Habtoor Palace Dubai
This was another former St. Regis hotel, now it belongs to the Hilton brand LXR. Selling individual luxury that is not "mass produced", this is a Hilton I can get on board with. |
1600 AED (~$440) |  |
| Address Dubai Mall
The definite downtown shopping option, directly integrated into the huge Dubai Mall. |
2180 AED (~$590) | |
| Palace Downtown Dubai
This wonderful place manages to give you a resort-like feeling amidst the skyscrapers of downtown. I can only recommend this Arabian palace that impresses service- and other-wise. See my review here. |
2300 AED (~$630) | |
| Address Downtown
In between the Palace Downtown and the Dubai Mall, this is another viable and central option with a local charm. |
2900 AED (~$790) | |
| Armani Hotel
Another fashion brand translating their style into the hospitality business. And with Armani, this becomes a very slick design experience in the center of Dubai. Located inside the tallest building in the world: the Burj Khalifa. |
3350 AED (~$915) | |
Other recommended luxury hotels in Dubai
Four Seasons DIFC - What can I say? I am fan of the brand and this is the other FS in town, I would say the city/business option - 35 mins
Bab Al Shams Desert Resort - the desert oasis option (Al Maha, the awesome place that I reviewed here, is really too far) - 40 mins
Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai - Las Vegas feeling in Dubai, quite close - 25 mins
Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates - if your main activities (other than the expo) evolve around shopping, this might be your choice - 30 mins
Al Habtoor Polo Club (former St. Regis) - for Polo fans - 30 mins
Legoland Hotel - for the kids or the kid in you - 30 mins
If you really only care about closeness to the Expo area:
Courtyard by Marriott Dubai, Green Community - This one is basically on location - 5 mins
New hotel openings in 2021
Come back soon!
How to get around?
In Dubai you should get around by public transport, or as I call it: Uber Black. I heavily rely on the driving services of the following apps when in Dubai. What you can’t use anymore are the cheapest options: as of September 2019, Uber X and Careem Go have been stopped in favour of the regular taxis.
Uber - Usually my go-to-app for when I am out and about during my travels. Easy to use and reliable. For airport pickups I don’t recommend it, though, but see below. Products offered in Dubai: Select service is a premium ride in high-end cars, Black is a premium ride in luxury cars and UberXL provides rides for groups of up to six people. I am surprised that they don’t offer Uber Lux in Dubai. It would definitely fit the surroundings. Maybe that will come in time for the Expo? Example pricing: Uber Black for a 25 min ride comes at 90 AED (~$25).
Careem - basically the UAEs own ride hailing app, but a subsidiary of Uber since 2019. Newly, you can also book the regular Dubai taxi via this app. Their car types are a little confusing to me. From what I can gather, a Business Class car for a 25 min ride costs about 122 AED (~$33). It’s cool that they offer a loyalty programme, which is unique among ride hailing apps.
SIXT ride - I became an avid user of the Sixt app for pre-ordering transfers from airports and train stations in the last year. It’s usually a better pricing than Blacklane with the same nice cars. In Dubai though, Blacklane seems a tad cheaper. I definitely prefer both apps for airport pickups, due to the personal pickup of the chauffeur at the airport exit and an included waiting time of 60 minutes. Besides, a pre-booking of an Uber at airports is not possible, you have to hail them when you arrive. I prefer to arrive knowing that everything is taken care of until I reach the hotel. Example pricing: Business Class $57 and First Class $90 for a 25 min ride.
Blacklane - A nice choice for airport pickups, see above. Example pricing: Business Class $40 and First Class $84 for a 25 min ride.
Dubai Taxi - easy to find all around Dubai and the cheapest option usually. It’s also good to know that there are different classes of taxis with different pricing. Only the cream-coloured ones are government controlled and should always be preferred. Also a reason why I stick to Uber when possible. No scamming possible. Pricing Example: for a 25 min ride about 52 AED (~$14).
There is a metro extension with a new metro stop directly at the Expo 2020. This extension will have driverless trains and set to open just in time for the event.
Covid-related Measures
What is the city of Dubai and the Expo organisation doing about the Corona virus? Well, as expected, all visitors have to wear a face mask at all times. Yeah, kind of off-putting, but there is no other way at the moment. What if you are already vaccinated? I haven’t found any information on advantages you might get (like not having to wear a face mask). The official delegations of the different countries present on the exhibition will get a COVID-19 vaccination from Dubai (according to Gulf News). “Normal” people will have to present a vaccination certificate or a recent negative PCR test upon entering Dubai.
More infos on measures: https://www.expo2020dubai.com/en/plan-your-visit/covid-19
Bottom Line
The Expo 2020 is a reason to discover Dubai or re-visit its ever changing landscape of hotels and landmarks. As is the Arabian hospitality, of which the effect is not to be underestimated on how you will experience and remember your trip - for Western citizens that have not travelled here or to Asia, it’s a revelation. The little details that give you the impression: I am actually valued as a guest and not simply an annoyance.
I would argue that closeness to the expo area is actually not that important. You should stay in a nice place and stay for a week, while spending a few days relaxing on the beach or discovering the man-made wonders of Dubai. There are enough choices for loyalty programme points redemption, but I would choose a good Virtuoso hotel where I can get many valuable benefits like upgrades, hotel credit and early/late checkout without any status.
My example itinerary for two:
Flight: Emirates Business Class from JFK - for the great service, DXB lounge plus chauffeur to/from airports (also in NYC)
Ticket: Premium Season Pass for the quicker smart-queue bookings and other extras
Hotel: One and Only The Palm - to have the Arabian hospitality at its finest with a tranquil beach resort vibe and amazing rooms (also: one of the world’s best chefs is overseeing its restaurants since 2019) - booked via Virtuoso for the benefits
Duration: 7 days in November 2020
Total price: 10’000 USD (return flight for two, First would be $30k) + 7’000 USD (hotel rate pay in advance and stay longer) + 500 USD (premium season pass for two) = 17’500 USD
Add 2’500 USD for other spendings and you reach a healthy 20’000 USD
This example pricing can be significantly reduced by using airline miles for the flights or choose a hotel you can redeem points for.
Of course you could fly Economy, live in a Hyatt Regency and just stay for 4 days. But then again, why live at all?
In any case, have fun at the Expo 2020!
